Rotary pump, compressor, or the like



Dec. 4, 1934. R. HU'IV'CHISON. JR ,9

ROTARY PUMP COMPRESSOR, OR THE LIKE I Filed Nov. 50, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR M /& HUTCH/SOM JR svqqigfl M. R. HUTCHISON JR 1,983,033

ROTARY PUMP, COMPRESSOR, OR THE LIKE Dec. 4, 1934.

Filed Nov. 50, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR M R. HUT H/SUN, (JR

A ORNEY Dec. 4, 1934. M R. HUTCHISON. JR

ROTARY PUMP,

COMPRESSOR, OR THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 30. 1932 rig R m ww Mm an Q Q [N c A N fim m uY H LB s R R w & & M mm 4 m Patented Dec. 4, 1934 We tor 1,983,033 no'rsnr PUMP, comrasssoa, on THE 1.1x

Miller B. Hutchison, Jr., Madison, N. 1., assignor to Multicycol Pump & Engine Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 30, 1932, Serial No. 644,995

6 Claims. (Cl. 103-122) g The objects of the present'invention are to attain in machines of the nature of rotary pumps. compressors, and the like, greater useful displacement than has been possible in machines his ofprior design and withminimum friction losses and with few simple parts of practical sturdy design.

The foregoing and other desirable objects are attained in the constructions hereinafter dei-do scribed, by the novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts disclosed and broadly covered in the claims. The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate different practical 15 embodiments of the invention, but as the same are primarily for purposes of disclosure, it will be understood that the structure may be modilied and changed in various ways, all within the true spirit and broad scope of the invention.

5320 Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sectional views of one simple form of the invention, Fig. 1 being taken as on the plane of line 1--1 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 being taken as on substantially the plane or line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

a I-Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of another embodiment involving additional valving features, Fig.3 appearing as on-line 3-3 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 4appearing substantially as on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

i330 In the form of the invention as first illustrated, a series of variable displacement chambers 5 are provided between hollow faced rockers 6, and a contacting flexible belt or band 7,

which is given an undulatory action by an internal set of rollers 8, journalled at 9, on the arms ofa spider structure 10, carried by a shaft 11. These rockers as shown in both views, have flanges or lips 12, slidingly engaging over the edges of the belt to serve as end closures for the crescent-shaped displacement chambers formed between the belt and the concave faces of the rockers.

" The concave faces of the rockers may be formed as shown at the top in Fig. 1, on arcs 13, struck from the rollcenters 14, to closely fit the belt as the rolls come into the radially aligned positions with the rockers, thus reducing the clearance volume to a minimum, but if .desired, this curvature may be less or greater than a true are from the roll centers. The forward and trailing edges of the rockers may be rounded as indicated at 15, to enable them to follow smoothly and lit closely the face of the'belt or ribbon.

The rockers may be mounted in various ways and in the illustration, they are shown as having rounded hub portions 16,. backed by resilient pads or cushions 1'1, in substantially semi-circular seats 18, in the casing or surrounding frame 19 of the machine. Flanges or lips 20 at the inner 80 edges of the semi-circular seats hold the resilient supporting pads, in place and, if they are made to fit the rounded hub portions of the rocker as shown, they may be utilized also as guides or gages for the rocker movements, preventing also the drag of the belt from-bodily displacing the rockers.

The hub portions of the rockers are shown as hollow at 21, to form fluid passages and as having slots or ports 22, opening inward through the concave chamber walls of the rockers.

Suitable fluid conducting connections are made with the hubs of the rockers. In Fig. 2, this is shown effected by pipe connections 23, 24, at the ends of the casing in line with the'passages or bores 21, in the hubs of the rockers, said piping including, in the case of the pump construction for instance, suitable intake and exhaust valves 25, 26, which may be simply properly arranged check valves in these pipe connections. 30 The connections to and from the several rockers may be suitably manifolded in or as portions of the casing, or by separate piping outside the casing and, in the case of such manifolding, only one intake and one exhaust valve need be as used, instead of separate valves for each rocker chamber, if the number of rockers and rollers be equal.

In Figs. 3 and 4, a variation of the invention is illustrated, wherein the variable displacement chambers are formed by the cooperation of the undulating ribbon '7', with the surrounding cylindrical wall 2'7 of the casing and slides 28. The latter are shown as having rocking seals 29, engaging the ribbon face, but inasmuch as there need be no relative sliding movement between the ribbon and slides, said slides may be attached to .and form in effect, integral projections of the ribbon, said projections operating in the boxes 30, in the same way that the parts 28 operate therein, though possibly they need not be backed up by springs 31, like the slides 28.

The valving of the pump chambers is effected, in the case shown, by providing the intake and exhaust passages 32, 33, in the casing at opposite sides of the slides and by constructing the slides with valve lips 34, 35, at their inner ends cooperable with valve seats 36, 3'1, to close the ports as the undulations pass beneath the slides, preventing communication between adjoining chamll0 bers. The ports 32, 33 are shown in Fig. .3 as having manifolding connections 88.

In this second form of the invention, the rollers lay the belt upon the cylinder wall as an endless track and without sliding movement as between the outer surface of the belt and the wall. In this fashion, the segmental shaped chambers are in effect translated about the axis of the shaft through undulation of the belt and providing relatively large displacement within the physical dimensions of the machine. Because the belt is not so long as the periphery of the cylinder, it will retreat in one revolution, a distance approximately equal to the difference in the length of the belt and the periphery of the cylinder. This retreat or creep is not objectionable, the motion being relatively slight.

In both forms, the wear on the belt is comparatively light. The belt however is readily replaceable.

Different materials may be used for the belt, such as rubber, fabric reinforced rubber, or a resilient material, such as rubber, with a suitable backing of flexible metallic tape. The belt may be in single or multiple layers. The end closures engaging the edges of the belt may be appropriately shaped to best make sealing engagement with the lightest friction. For example, in the second form, the end faces of the casing may be somewhat coned toward the center to compensate for any attenuation of the belt between adjoining rollers. Also, the rollers may be tensioned outwardly to compensate or take up for wear or stretch of the belt. This effect is accomplished in the second form of the invention by the follower springs in back of the gates or slides which ride the surface of the belt.

In the second form of the invention, the several intake and exhaust passages may be severally branched to suitable main in and out passages on or connected with the casing of the so-called roller-ribbon pump, engine, compressor or the like.

As an aid to maintaining proper sealing engagement between the ribbon and the companion chamber forming member or members, pressure may be introduced in back of the ribbon, that is, inside the roller assembly. In the first form of the invention, such pressure against the inside of the belt may be opposed by pressure over the rockers, holding the latter against the outside face of the belt. If the casing is made fluid tight with space about and over the rockers, such as indicated at 39, Fig. 1, the opposing pressure mentioned may be introduced in any convenient way to the interior of the casing. If the inside and outside pressures are to be equal, the space inside the belt may be in free communication with the outer space 39 of the casing. If however, these pressures are to be different, the inside space of necessity is separated from the outer casing space, as by endwise abutment of the belt and rockers with the end walls of the casing, substantially as indicated at 40 in Fig. 4. Pressure applied externally to the rockers, opposing pressure in the chambers 5, eases the bearing loads of the rockers in their journals in the casing. By a proper selection of these pressures, leakage from and or into chambers 5 may be controlled. In the first form of the invention, it will be noted that the arrangement of parts is such, that the pressure developed in the chambers 5 never operates at any time to influence the turning of the rockers about their own axes. As a consequence, the only force which is required to oscillate the rockers is that sufilcient to overcome the moment of inertia of the rockers and friction in the bearings, the pressure having no torque influence. The belt may be anchored against creeping in the cylinder, in the second form of the invention, as heretofore described, by means of integrally connected slides, operating in the casing, if it be made of approximately the same length as the inside circumference of the cylinder. If desired, stretch and wear of the belt may be compensated for by a suitable follower or followers, yieldingly engaged with one or both edges of the belt, backed up by spring or fluid pressure.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the structure without departure from the true spiritand broad scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

-1. A machine of the character disclosed, comprising in combination, a casing and a shaft relatively rotatable, said casing having concave chamber defining walls therein substantially concentric to the shaft, three or more rollers concentrically grouped on the shaft and an endless belt located entirely within the casing extending about said three or more rollers and co-acting with said chamber forming walls within the casing to form therewith variable displacement chambers in the relative rotation of the shaft and casing, the chamber forming walls within the casing including a plurality of hollow rockers having sealing engagement with said belt and means for valving the confined spaces between said hollow rockers and endless belt.

21 A machine of the character disclosed, comprising in combination, a casing and a shaft relatively rotatable, said casing having concave chamber defining walls therein substantially concentric to the shaft, three or more rollers concentrically grouped on the shaft, an endless belt located entirely within the casing extending about said three or more rollers and co-acting with said chamber forming walls within the casing, to form therewith variable displacement chambers in the relative rotation of the shaft and casing, the chamber forming walls within the casing including hollow rockers having sealing engagement with said belt and provided with valved intake and exhaust ports controlling flow to and from the confined spaces between said hollow rockers and endless belt.

3. A machine of the character disclosed, comprising in combination, a casing and a shaft relatively rotatable, said chamber defining walls therein substantially concentric to the shaft, three or more rollers concentrically grouped on the shaft, an endless belt located entirely within the casing extending about said three or more rollers and co-acting with said chamber forming walls within the casing to form therewith variable displacement chambers in the relative rotation of the shaft and casing, said chamber forming walls within the casing including a circular chamber wall surrounding the belt and gates extending inward from said surrounding wall to said belt and movable to follow the undulatory action of the belt.

4. A machine of the character disclosed, comprising in combination, a casing and a shaft relatively rotatable, said casing having concave chamber defining walls therein substantially concentric to the shaft, three or more rollers concentrically grouped on the shaft, an endless belt located entirely within the casing extending about said three or more rollers and'co-acting casing having concavewith said chamber forming walls within the eas- 6. A machine of the character disclosed, comprising in combination, a casing, a shaft operating therein, said casing having a chamber wall concentric to the shaft axis, rollers carried by said shaft, an endless belt extending about said rollers and adapted to be carried thereby in undulatory fashion in engagement with said surrounding chamber wall and chamber defining gates slidingly mounted in the casing and cooperating with the undulatory belt.

MILLER R. HUTCHISON, JR. 

